Take the Atheist Challenge!!!

I think that one of the things that confuses people is the issue that evolution is BOTH theory AND fact. The actual change in allele frequency in a population over time is a FACT. The Theory of Evolution, the explanation for all the facts observed in the various fields of study, THIS is the theory.I don't understand why people don't ask the same questions and have the same problems with Shraf's pet theory, gravity. It is also a fact AND a theory. Jump out a 2nd story window and the fact will definately be observed. Now explain how gravity works or what it actually is...that is theory.

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Asgara
"Embrace the pain, spank your inner moppet, whatever....but get over it"

http://EvC Forum: The best scientific method (Bayesian form of H-D)The whole thread is interesting but this is approximately the beginning of the infamous "fart" quotes.Enjoy

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Asgara
"Embrace the pain, spank your inner moppet, whatever....but get over it"

What is the difference? No one is saying that any population evolved all at one time. The bacteria in the experiment evolved over time through several generations the same as any other population, such as humans, would. Bacterial generations are tremendously shorter than human generations.

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Asgara
"Embrace the pain, spank your inner moppet, whatever....but get over it"

No, I don't see any significance. Maybe you could explain it to me better. I was explaining to you that there is no difference. Both populations have a change in allele frequency over time, over multiple generations. What is the difference?

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Asgara
"Embrace the pain, spank your inner moppet, whatever....but get over it"

I don't understand what you mean by "evolving in groups".Bacterial evolution happens the same as in any other population, just at a much faster rate than the slower reproducing human population.Bacteria reproduce by mitosis and as such are essentially clones of the prior generation....other than mutations and such that happen during the division. If a second generation bacteria has a change from a mutation that lets it survive and divide better than one without that change then the next generation will have that change also.If something is killing off the bacteria without the change, guess what? The following generations will, by necessity have this change.
This is evolution, the fact.You are still getting hung up on the difference between evolution the observable fact...and the Theory of Evolution, the..er...theory. The proposed explanations that fit all the facts.

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Asgara
"Embrace the pain, spank your inner moppet, whatever....but get over it"

Excellent point hun.And amazingly, it works both ways. Belief in god should in no way be used to dismiss the decades of work that have gone into researching one of the most important scientific theories of all times.Take care, I'm off to bed.

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Asgara
"Embrace the pain, spank your inner moppet, whatever....but get over it"

(ok...so I lied, I'm NOT going to bed)Nothing was said about the number of mutations. Natural selection doesn't "make" anything happen, it just selects that which has already happened.I like to use the analogy of a Yahtzee game. You role the dice and this represents the alleles in a population. Now you are natural selection, you pick the die you want to keep for the next role. ( but don't take this to mean that natural selection is making a conscious choice)As far as only one human evolving at a time, this is not what is being said. Individuals do not evolve. They keep the same genes throughout their life. Evolution is a change in the frequency of alleles in a population over time. A population is what evolves.The only difference between the human population and the bacterial one is the speed of reproduction. A human generation might be 15 to 20 years while a bacteria might go through hundreds of generations an hour. (My times are probably way off, I'm sure one of the bio types here can be more specific)Ok..NOW I'm going to bed

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Asgara
"Embrace the pain, spank your inner moppet, whatever....but get over it"

Damn Sylas, you have a way with words that just stirs my corrupted little heart. {going off to check on legal ramifications of stalking ..er.. worshiping from afar..over international borders}

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Asgara
"Embrace the pain, spank your inner moppet, whatever....but get over it"

River, I am happy that you are coming up with all these questions, but I'm not really the best one to get answers from. My answers tend to be very simplistic.You would do better to get into a discussion with my one true love Sylas, or one of the bio types around here.People like you that come in with genuine questions are very well recieved around here. (just don't let us scare you off, we descend like vultures on any chance at a quality debate {you've noticed I'm not in bed yet LOL} )

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Asgara
"Embrace the pain, spank your inner moppet, whatever....but get over it"

River, it isn't natural selection causing the mutations. Mutations just happen, they happen all the time. (You yourself probably have at least 4 or 5 changes from the genetic makeup of your parents.)Natural selection works on mutations that are all ready there. If only one member of a group had a mutation that is beneficial in their particular circumstances, then that individual is the one more likely to survive to pass on his genes, mutation and all.

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Asgara
"Embrace the pain, spank your inner moppet, whatever....but get over it"http://asgarasworld.bravepages.com